


Emerald Knights

by fadinglove



Category: DCU
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Childhood Friends, Childhood Memories, M/M, One-Sided Attraction, Outer Space, Partying, Royalty, Underage Kissing, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-25
Updated: 2017-08-31
Packaged: 2018-12-16 00:08:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11817087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fadinglove/pseuds/fadinglove
Summary: The light that spills from within the castle reaches even the darkest depths of the Universe, illuminating dying stars and smoldering nebulas in green. The Guardians remain stagnant in their ring of continuity, heads bowed and expressions solemn.(ABANDONED WORK)





	1. prologue

**Author's Note:**

> THIS AU IS NOT MY IDEA. I got it off a tumblr but unfortunately I can't remember the user.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guys, right now i'm working on a very long, very heavy bruce/clark fanfic focusing on bruce's entire life so please stay tuned for that. but in the meantime enjoy this batlantern au!

In the deepest scope of outer space, between galaxies and encompassing solar systems stands the kingdom of Oa, the heavily fortified castle shielding the Guardians. It's a thing of unimaginable beauty, the sloping green walls and towers reaching high made entirely of sheer willpower, held together brick by brick.

The light that spills from within the castle reaches even the darkest depths of the Universe, illuminating dying stars and smoldering nebulas in green. The Guardians remain stagnant in their ring of continuity, heads bowed and expressions solemn. 

Nobody quite knows what goes on in their old, old minds... Snapping and bursting with energy dating back to the creation of the Universe. Are they celebrating their past successes, or bracing themselves for a future catastrophe, a life-threatening disaster? The Guardians of Oa are silent and still, locked away in their castle.

But outside the walls, the planet teems with life. It harbors beings from every sector of the Universe, from planets old and new to ones war-ridden or still, and the aliens themselves come with different-colored blood and number of eyes and telepathic capabilities or sharp teeth. They vary in every which way but within each soldier's heart lies the same core, the same understanding: that they are here to protect the ones who cannot protect themselves. They are here to put other's lives before theirs, revel in the victories and learn from the defeats.

They have all originated from the Kingdom of Oa and they are molded by the very band of willpower that encases their fingers. A simple, elegant ring. From this ring and their minds stem their vast powers.

These warriors taste their blades from this ring, the blood of their enemies spilling, the love of their fellow brethren. It renders them absolute in their ferocity and dedication to sacrifice. They are all intertwined in heartstrings of green by these rings and between the blackness of outer space and the distant twinkling of stars they can find one another by the flashing lights.

The Emerald Knights are a bond of soldiers watching over every district of the Universe. They are untouchable, banding together in times of struggle, ending wars before they can play out and fighting for peace between nations, planets, solar systems, galaxies.

They are the Emerald Knights, and they are sovereign in their love.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Hal's different from the other aliens that reside in the palace and wander around it. The faces he meets everyday and familiar ones he has known all his life vary greatly but he's never met anyone with an appearance quite like his. 

He doesn't quite remember when he realized it. Maybe it was a gradual thing, noticing a little thing here and something else there and everything adding up over time. There is one time, though, when he's small and his hair brushes his lashes, it's always in his eyes. Somebody notices, one of the caretakers in the palace. She sits him in front of a mirror and holds a chunk of his hair and says it's getting too long.

He watches the pieces brush the ground. He studies his reflection, at his light skin and brown hair, golden eyes. He is a scrawny kid and he sees his collarbones, prominent, the twist of his lips as he frowns.

"You don't have hair," he tells the caretaker, almost an accusation. 

She just looks at him, lashes lowered. "We are all different, Harold." She speaks in the strange tongue of Oa, only one of the many languages that he's had to learn.

"I'm the only one that looks like this," Hal says dissatisfiedly. "It's weird. No one else even has hair on their head... except maybe Thaal."

"Because you and he are not from this sector," she says, "But what does it matter? We are all the same, within. We all share life."

"Why am I here, if I'm not from this sector?" he asks, but he already knows the answers. He's heard the story a thousand times: how his family was gone, but the Oans had sensed the unmistakable call of a future knight and rescued him from his corrupted, filthy home planet of primitive beings. They had all told him to be grateful a million times over and even Thaal had spoke to him of horrifying places of death and destruction, where basic staples of everyday life were hard to find and living was just one long struggle. It strikes fear into Hal's heart to think of such things.

He _is_ grateful, he supposes. He admires the grand beauty of the palace walls and how he can run his hands under water everyday and every beautiful horse for riding and feasts of large platters that are served plentifully. 

But it's hard, he thinks, when he has never known anything else about this life. And as a little child he wonders, guiltily, about his home world. Someone had uttered the name of it once: Earth. It sounds simple, strange. Hal wonders what it's like there, the primitive beings, the evil, and perhaps... what it would be like to grow up there...

"It is done," says a voice, and Hal sees once again his reflection in the mirror except his hair doesn't uncomfortably tickle his eyes anymore. He strays immediately from his previous thoughts, feeling almost ashamed. 

He utters a word of gratitude in the Oan language and hops down from his seat. He wonders he could do today. Perhaps some horse-back riding, because...

* * *

"It's a very nice day today," Hal notes, lazily pulling his reigns while sparing a glance at the sky. It's a magnificent lilac, alighted by their system's star, tinted faintly with green, as always. A few maids pass him by, eyes twinkling and laughter echoing, and he drops a wink, flashing teeth. It earns him more exclamation as he stops next to Thaal.

He looks serious as usual, red skin startling against his black horse, armor impeccable and expression impassive. "Yes. Perfect for driving the militia hard outdoors, we haven't had a chance to-"

"Oh, take a break for once, will you," Hal waves an uncaring hand and pats the neck of his horse satisfiedly. His feet dangle (he never bothers to hook them in the stirrups) and half of his armor is probably fastened too loosely. "Let's go riding in the woods. Or have a nice little luncheon with- well, I saw some pretty girls a second ago." Thaal glares at him through his own helmet. 

"You're too careless, for your own good," the other man says. 

Hal looks down at the left sleeve of his armor. It's green and almost holographic, a constant construct, but not transparent. "And you've got a stick up your ass," he says, "So let's ride a bit."

Hal's horse whinnies impatiently. She's probably one of the finest on Oa, as Thaal's is too, only the best having been picked for them. His mare is a beautiful creamy color, with a silky mane and patient brown eyes. He named her Et as a kid (most likely a failed attempt at saying 'Earth') and the name stuck. And Hal loves her, the way her gallop is borderline wild, and the way she rears fearlessly while the wind whips Hal in the face and he yells in delight.

Thaal's stallion, on the other hand, rarely makes a sound. He's no doubt one of the fastest and strongest in the kingdom, probably able to throw anyone off his back save for Sinestro. He's all black except for a stripe of white down his nose and his icy blue eyes. He doesn't have a name.

The horse has always made Hal a little chilly- not that he's ever said anything about it, of course. It's a ridiculous notion but he always keeps his distance, just in case. He's much content with Et.

"I'll ride," says Thaal, finally, and Hal smirks.

"Can't resist."

"But I'm right- you're too careless. And one day it'll get you into trouble," Thaal says, and for a split second Hal sees something dark behind those eyes, malice underlining his words, something sinister in the curve of his lips-

But it disappears so suddenly Hal is chastising himself for being so _strange_ today.

"It already gets me in trouble everyday," he says, and takes off. He hears wind in his ears, the familiar sight of the woods looming up above, and closes his eyes. He's always been so free.


	3. Chapter 3

Bruce finds it kind of hard to talk to people at first. Oliver is really good at it- he can get anyone spilling their life stories in less than a minute, and everyone waves to him or claps him on the back when they walk down the halls. Girls are friendly to Bruce and talk to him but they eye Oliver in that way they have and ask him to "hang out." It seems really serious.

Bruce has so many thoughts in his mind, always cracking and flowing and fizzling brightly but when they make it up his lips just don't seem to push them out right. The two of them come in neatly pressed uniforms and suits everyday, and no one even thinks about bullying Bruce because everyone knows he's rich to his ears and he's got Oliver Queen by his side, too. 

But sometimes he thinks it would be cool if people admired him the same way and asked about the things he liked and wanted to do. He wonders if, when the men with blinding teeth and their wives fake-smiling look at him at the galas, they're just seeing a path to a lot of money. 

That makes him angry, for a lot of reasons. Bruce sees the pearls around their necks and sees the same ones spilling over into a gutter, clattering down into that darkness, rolling away on the street. 

Alone.

Scattered.

He remembers two months after that night he stood on the kitchen floor and cried. He cried and cried and cried and later Alfred found him and wrapped him up so tight it must've blocked the tears because pretty soon he stopped.

And today at school he's with Oliver, who's talking to a very pretty girl with long blonde straight hair and nice brown eyes. She's younger than Oliver but older than Bruce, and he looks at her dimples as she talks. When she leaves he realizes he's being smirked at.

"Like her, don't you?"

"No," Bruce says a little too defensively.

"Come to my party after school today, then. She'll be there," he winks.

"Absolutely not."

By eight Bruce is on one of the patios of Oliver's mansion, sipping iced tea from a cup. There are people everywhere, milling around in the hot tubs, diving into the infinity pool, eating pot brownies on the couch and playing beer pong in the kitchens. Bruce just likes his iced tea. And he hasn't seen Oliver yet but soon someone taps his shoulder and he turns to see the girl with the nice dimples.

"Hi," she says, "You're Oliver's friend, aren't you. I'm Kelly, and this is Nate." With her is a boy about her age, with vivid blue eyes and tousled brown hair. He smiles at Bruce and something unfamiliar quirks in Bruce's chest."

"Yeah," he says, "I'm Bruce."

"Bruce," the guy ponders, "Wait- you're not Bruce Wayne, are you?"

"I am," he says, laughing nervously.

Later, his lips will feel numb from Nate pushing his tongue into his mouth. He remembers thinking how soft the strands of Kelly's hair would be between her fingers but he forgets as he tentatively roams the planes of Nate's chest. 

* * *

"It's a stakeout. Stakeouts are silent, attentive, and focus on stealth. Your gaudy costume is the opposite of all of that." Batman's voice comes out harsher than he intended for it too, but he's been at this job for a long time.

"Oh, don't be such a buzzkill."

"Of course you're not used to using your intelligence to defeat opponents because usually you just rush headfirst into your situation and rely entirely on your physical capabilities."

"Well- I- that always works, doesn't it?"

"Your fighting style is incomparably unorganized. In a situation where your powers were to be taken away you would most likely die, or be critically injured, at the least."

"That doesn't- well- you- it-" Kal splutters, then sighs. He drops from the air and sits down on the rooftop beside Batman, who is crouching with a pair of high-tech binoculars in one hand. "You really are an insufferable asshole sometimes."

"Hush," he says, as he spots one of Maroni's lowly hitmen slinking out from a Chinese takeout place (a front for their ongoing drug cartel). Lightning fast Batman shoots out a grappling line and swoops down from the apartment, silent and swift, right into the shadows by his target. He dangles by one arm, muscles tightening under the suit, as the cape flares out from behind him.

And he could be just imagining it, but he feels Superman's eyes on him for the longest time.  

And when the mission's finished, he slips back onto the roof where Clark's been waiting. His costume is the brightest blue and red, conspicuous even in the darkness, but his face is slipped into shadow, making his expression difficult to read. 

Batman checks coordinates and summons the plane with a swift press of a few buttons. 

"You're pretty good at what you do, Bats," Kal says, and something in his voice sounds almost... wistful. Longing.

Resigned. As if he knows he's wishing for something he'll never have. 

Batman leaves. 


	4. Chapter 4

Batman is out doing business as usual just as the sun is setting in Gotham when something warps across the sky. He looks up. It's a pale lilac, but as he watches a part of the sky distorts again, as if folding in on itself before combusting and shaking back to normal.

Then it all stops and everything goes quiet.

He turns on the comms. "League, this is Batman reporting. Spatial anomaly visible in the sky from Gotham."

"Oh man, you saw that? Me too!" Then some static that could only be an embarrassed cough. "Um, this is Flash reporting, from Central City, by the way. But the sky got all crazy for a second."

"Batman in. Everyone, if you're not dealing with something urgent, meet at headquarters."

Everyone chimes in agreement, and no more than ten minutes later Batman is overlooking them all at the round white table. Some look curious, even nervous (Barry), but most of them look mildly bored.

"It's probably just the aftereffect of a distant galactic war that happened hundreds of light years ago, that's reaching Earth now," Diana says. And it's not unreasonable. But-

"You didn't see it. The entire sky turned volatile for a second. Nothing like that has ever happened to Earth's sky before, that we've seen. Most collisions from spatial wars burn off in space; they don't travel colossal distances and still have enough power left to warp an entire atmosphere. Something's going on," Batman says with certainty.

"We'd best contact the Knights, then," Superman adds. Then he looks around at everyone's faces. "What? Why does everyone hate them so much?"

"We don't hate them," Cyborg has the grace to look sheepish. "It's just that... we barely know anything about them. Except that they regard us as primitive beings with Stone Age technology and no logical thought process. And the whole thing is just so remote. They claim to be protecting our space sector, but... I don't know."

"I, for one, have never spotted an Emerald Knight on this Earth," Aquaman crosses his arms defiantly. 

"Well now that you mention it, I've never spotted one in outer space, either," Superman says slowly. He looks thoughtful. "I don't know, maybe they're well-hidden?"

"Hidden? They should be a beacon of light, saviors and protectors watching over space, shining green! They should not be hidden."

Batman pinches the bridge of his nose. "Enough. Save all your outlandish conspiracy theories for discussion. They're the only guardians of outer space that we know of, and it seems like they do their job pretty well since Earth hasn't been destroyed yet."- ("Yeah, thanks to us," Flash mutters under his breath, and Bruce shuts him up with a look.) -"We need to contact them so they can investigate what's going on."

Later when he goes to sleep that night he sees a purple warping sky beneath his eyelids. He's seen a lot of weird things in his career but never something so fantastical, so unreal, something that spoke of life beyond Earth and things bad and good in the depths of outer space....

* * *

So, Hal did decide to have a nice picnic with those pretty ladies that passed him by. Just not with Thaal. And not for long, but that wasn't his fault. Because there were three gorgeous maids, all with elegant black markings down their chests to their narrow hips. But accompanying them was a gorgeous male Oan from the town, and Hal slid off his horse immediately because of the pressure down below.

He offers to show the man a few hunting tricks and he accepts with a knowing gleam in his eyes and Hal leaves the ladies with the picnic (they're too busy preening over the delicate finger foods to be disappointed). And as soon as they're a safe distance in the woods he's pushed up against the trunk of a tree.

"I didn't know the Prince enjoyed boys," the brother smirks, in the local dialect. Hal can understand enough.

"I very much enjoy everything," he gasps and the other man grinds against him, "Mister- what- what's your name? What do I call-"

"Don't call me anything," the mysterious man whispers into Hal's neck.

It's messy and fast and quick, but it leaves Hal feeling hungry, desperate, wanting for more. He likes the sturdy feel of another cock in his hands, meaty and thick. Likes the broad planes of a man's chest, the build equal to his own height. 

Should a Prince like these things? It's hard to tell.

He doesn't worry about it.

And they're getting heated up again for a second round when a crackling sound resonates from the sky. Hal stops short, thinking maybe he's just imagined it, but the bewildered look on the other man's face confirms that something is happening. Hal drops to the ground to pick up his clothes, willing the ring to construct his armor once again. From the ground the knight looks up, and in his view is a long expanse of his partner's legs, then torso, then head, which is tilted up, revealing the tender skin of his neck, corded with muscle.

Hal looks up too, and he sees something monstrous.

It's hard to describe, he realizes later. But in that moment it was so clear. 

The entire sky is a churning, toiling pit of black, ebony spilling across marbled nothingness like streaks of ink. And there appears to be only darkness but when Hal looks- really looks- he can see things beyond it, things with horns and sharp bodies and teeth, staring down at them through the cracks. And it strikes fear in him, and not many things strike fear- but he pushes it away, thinks over the fear as if climbing over an impossibly rocky river, because that is what he does, as a knight.

"You should return, Prince," says a voice that a mere second ago was groaning and teasing, "Lest your people think harm came to you."

Hal blinks, letting the soft glow of the green construct settle into place around him. "Uh- yeah, yeah. You're right." He bends his knees slightly for takeoff, but hesitates. "See you... see you around, I guess?"

"Indeed, my Prince," he smiles, and Hal erupts towards the sky, letting air blast towards him, filling his every crevice with it. This is what he was born to do- the wind his soul was made to breathe through. He knows his flight is a beacon of light, and in the distance he hears relieved cries and cheers. 

And he meets Thaal in the palace war rooms. 

Atop the silver edged table buckles a three-dimensional hologram of the sky. It still churns without end, and so many are engrossed in it little pay attention to his entrance. Thaal only gestures hastily, and Hal hurries to his side. "Look," the red-skinned man points, "Look closely, through the darkness, through the monsters within it. There is something on the _other side."_ Sinestro stares intently at it, and there's a hungry gleam in his eyes.

Hal peers closely, trying not to flinch away from the horrible feeling it gives him, and he sees something. It starts as a glimpse of light, at first, but he waits again and the light flashes again, for longer. He sees blue, a bright blue, alongside green, in the form of a sphere- and he realizes it's a planet. Not just any planet, though. It's a planet he is very much familiar with, one he's studied for hours again in ancient history books.

"Prince Sinestro, Prince Jordan," a nervous looking messenger catches their attention beside the hologram, respectfully holding a hand to his chest in the humble gestures of Oa. "I have come to inform you that planet Earth is visible through the other side of this spatial anomaly, and the Justice League from it are attempting to make contact as of right now. They are experiencing, I fear, the same events."


	5. Chapter 5

Superman's voice over the comms is incredibly unstable and nearly impossible to hear in the gravitational pull and space forces of the portal that's opened up, but most of the League deciphers it anyway. "The Oans say they can patch us through, and transport us to their planet. It seems a kind of wormhole has opened up, and their best scientists are certain it won't close for a long while. And even if it does close while we're on Oa, we can still always come back to Earth by way of space travel, which they'll probably assist us with." The wild fluttering of a red cape doesn't distract Batman's furious, quick thinking. "I say we go pay a visit and fix this."

"No way in hell," Cyborg retorts automatically, "am I traveling millions of light years from my home to visit an ancient planet we know absolutely zip about to fix something we know absolutely zip about. This is like, impossible diplomatic relations and getting through annoying intergalactic customs and universe threatening spiritual dangers, all in one."

"Oh, don't be dramatic, we know some things about Oa-"

"Like what?"

"Like, uh, how, the Oans know a zillion different languages so some of them can speak English."

"And how they consider humanity unevolved and unintelligent," Wonder Woman adds dryly, glaring directly at Superman up in the clouds.

"Well, we'll go and change their minds! Update their history a little," Kal defends.

On the streets below the Flash stops in his tracks. "Wait, guys... what about, like, toiletries? Should I start packing right now? But how much stuff would I have to pack? Like, enough for a couple of days, or like a whole month- or does time move differently there or something- I'm so-"

"We're going to Oa," Batman growls into the comms, shutting everyone up. "This anomaly is clearly endangering both the Oans and Earth, and we need to work together to fix it. Since they aren't unfamiliar with our language that makes it even easier."

There's a few seconds of silence. Then- "So should I pack for a whole month?"

"Don't pack anything," Bruce says. "You're a guest. So let them treat you like one." 

* * *

They told him it was traditional and celebratory to sit upon his horse to greet official guests. As much as he liked Et he also didn't like tradition and found nothing to celebrate, so Hal waited at the edge of the crowd near the portal, right beside Thaal, who is mounted atop his own black stallion. He's not in the regular green constructed armor today, but rather, in what he calls his 'pretty' clothes: white gloves and fabric with a small pattern of flowers embroidered at the left breast, intricately inlaid with spiraling golden patterns along the hems. He's constructed just a mask over his eyes.

It definitely doesn't suit the demeanor he wants to express- eager to fight, ready to rush into battle with a mind of nothing but rage. But he has more than one duty as a Prince so now he waits at the edge of a portal standing in pretty clothes. Hal knows the visitors will look like him, being from Earth, but he can't yet gauge how stupid they'll be, or what their customs are. Maybe humans have evolved. It's all uncertain.

The characters that fly through are most definitely not what he expects. 

The first being that breaks through the swirling green is a large, rather handsome man in skin-tight clothing, bright colors that stand out and ask to be seen. A cape flows behind him, adding to his character, perhaps. Hal notes with a tiny spark of excitement that the man does look like a human, look like himself, but with variations. His eyes are a stunning blue and hair inky black, skin a few shades lighter. In red boots he hovers off the ground, taking in the scene but flying aside to let his companions through.

This human had the power of flight- that wasn't something Hal had anticipated. Before he can think much else of it, another person comes through- this time, a woman.

She has the same coloring as the man, equally beautiful, and her clothes just as colorful. A golden whip is looped around her belt, gleaming, and something seems to radiate from her- an ethereal aura of magic, something fantastical.

The next figure is the one that intrigues Hal the most, though. He prepares himself for another conspicuous being, but this one is dressed in black, all black, with a black cape, and animalistic ears crowning his head. But his face is somewhat covered by black, only the gracious lips visible. Hal stares at this Earthen being, a symbol of darkness and despair, yet still human at the same time. He can see the rippling muscles underneath the suit, swift movements as he rises, the cape brushing the ground.

Very interesting indeed. And the last to come are a long-haired man with a trident, a red suit with a yellow zigzag flashing down his chest, and a man half-robot, with gears and glass and metal bits intertwined with the human flesh.

There are a few moments of silence with the townsfolk gaping and Hal staring in wonder, until Thaal finally steps forward. Or rather, beckons his horse take a few steps closer. "Greetings to the people of Earth," he says in near perfect English. There's still quiet. "I am Prince Thaal Sinestro of Oa, and this is Prince Hal Jordan. Excuse us for the seemingly cold reception; I believe we are all just rather... taken by surprise at the appearance of the humans. We did not expect them to be so... colorful."

"These are just costumes," the man in red and blue explains hastily, laughing nervously. "We don't wear these things for doing normal things. You can call me Superman."

"You're not human," Hal blurts out, the mask from his face dissolving in a wisp of green. He doesn't know why he says it so suddenly and with such certainty; but there's something in the vivid blue of his eyes that seem too blue, physique too perfect, something different that sets him apart from the others.

"You're right, I'm not," Superman says, seeming to notice him for the first time. The League does as well, with surprised expressions. All except the man in black, who narrows his eyes in calculated curiosity. "I grew up on Earth, but I am a Kryptonian- the last surviving one."

An excited murmur goes through the crowd. Krypton is a culture many on Oa are familiar with, and Kryptonians were highly respected and admired. 

"And these," Superman gestures to his company, "are my friends."

"Wonder Woman," the girl says, voice clear and ringing. "I am human, but also half God, and I traveled with a tribe of blessed humans, the Amazons, before I came to the League."

"Batman." The man in black growls curtly, and he seems bored with the entire affair. He offers no further explanation. And one by one the other League members introduce themselves, until Hal confirms the idea that these are not just any Earthen beings. These are the best of them, with different origins and different parts to their bodies, but all special in that the world is entrusted in their hands.

There are six of them. Six extraordinary beings. Hal feels like a plain human in comparison, even with his Emerald Ring. 

"You will be shown to the palace, where you'll be staying," says Thaal, already turning on his stallion. "There is a welcoming feast, tonight, to better understand the people of Earth. Please attend, out of costume."

He leaves, and slowly, Hal turns to follow, treading in the grass. He can feel many pairs of eyes on him.


End file.
